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ADMISSION WAIT LIST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why does the Law School have an admission wait list and how did I end up on it?
While much of the admission process may seem to be about numbers, it’s actually about people—and predicting human behavior is very tricky. The admissions committee reviews applications and makes decisions based on numerous factors. Over time, the Law School has developed predictive models that give us an idea of how many candidates offered admission to New York Law School will choose to enroll, but it is an inexact science. Some years we have more students than we anticipated and other years we find ourselves with fewer students in the entering class than we would like. So, the admissions committee creates an admission wait list to keep a number of files active longer in the process to consider for seats in the class that may open up between the application deadline and the first day of classes. The admissions committee feels that your application is one that they would want to consider for a later opening.
When do seats open up and when would I hear?
Because we’re dealing with unpredictable human behavior, we simply don’t have answers to these questions. Candidates who are admitted to New York Law School are required to submit two tuition deposits; one in April to make a commitment and reserve their seat, and a second in June to confirm their intention to enroll. Generally, it is unusual for the admissions committee to review any wait list files until after the June deadline for second tuition deposits.
Is the wait list ranked?
No. Each application is unique in numerous non-quantifiable ways. As such, there is no way to create a viable ranking system. We don’t believe it’s right or useful to rank applications because it would remove too many important personal qualities and individual experiences from consideration.
What, if anything, can I do to improve my application’s chances of being selected for an open seat?
Every applicant and every application is different, so the answer to this question lies with the candidate. I’m sure that you know your strengths and your weaknesses and hoped that we placed greater emphasis on your strengths and exercised reasoned judgment on your weaknesses. And, we probably did or your application would not still be active. What you need to judge for yourself is whether you did a complete job on your application. Consider the following:
Because your application is still actively available for consideration by the admissions committee, they understand and embrace your strengths. There is little value in re-emphasizing your strengths. For instance, good writers should resist the temptation to submit a writing sample; all of your recommenders have trumpeted this skill and your transcript underscores it as well. The admissions committee will not interview you, listen to or watch a DVD or CD you send in, read an article you wrote, or assess your artistic or creative talent. Resist doing any of it.
In the past, we had a wait list applicant have a classroom chair delivered to our office with a note stating, “here is another seat for your class, please admit me now.” That did not yield an offer. I advise against such dramatic or humorous ploys to get our attention; it’s not the kind of attention you want. I also advise against sending the “weekly update” by mail or email. While that does keep your name in front of us, it’s rare that anyone’s life warrants that level of updating and you end up having something other than the positive impact you sought.
How do I let the admissions committee know that New York Law School is my first choice? A simple letter stating so and outlining in specific terms why we’re your first choice can be helpful to the committee. But, it has to be genuine and not an attempt on your part to garner as many offers of admission as possible. Regurgitating, or plagiarizing, our website or admission materials isn’t very convincing. We’ve gotten pretty good at recognizing authenticity, so keep it real. If you’re not really interested in attending New York Law School, then withdraw your application and let someone who really wants to be here take any seat that might open.
Are there strategies I can employ that would improve my chance of being admitted? There aren’t any real “strategies” that work other than being genuine with your interest in New York Law School and being very flexible in this process. I addressed keeping it real in the question immediately above, so re-read that paragraph. As for flexibility, you should allow as much time as you honestly can for us to notify you of an opening and you should be willing to accept to a seat in a division other than the one to which you applied if that’s a possibility.
For instance, returning the Wait List Response form indicating that the latest date you can be notified of an opening is April 15 would surely preclude any possibility of admission. As I stated above, it’s rare that we start looking at the wait list before June. Further, I can only imagine someone responding this way mistakenly believes that she or he would be prioritized in some way because so little time is given us. I think that’s a bad “strategy,” or just plain inflexibile, and the committee does not believe that candidate to be seriously interested in enrolling here.
Similarly, you should be flexible about being able to attend part time if you applied for full time status and vice versa. The committee does understand that a part time evening candidate is most likely working full time during the day and can’t quit the job to demonstrate flexibility to go to law school full time. But, if you can be flexible about the division in which you’re enrolled, you are making available every possible seat opening in the entering class. If you indicate that you will only consider a full time opening or only consider a part time opening, you are limiting the number of possibilities to that one division. If you are admitted to a division that’s your second choice, you can switch after your first year.
I know someone who knows someone who knows someone…should I go that route? If someone connected to the Law School knows you well enough to stand up for you now that your application is on the wait list, I would have thought you would have had that person write a recommendation as part of your original application. You are welcome to have them submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf as part of your demonstration of your sincere interest in being a New York Law School student. Don’t expect the letter alone to have an immediate impact on your application’s status.
Other schools have offered me admission and they want me to make a commitment; what do I do? I’m going to assume that any school to which you applied is a school that you would attend. An offer of admission from another school is a sure thing, a place on our wait list does not assure that you will be admitted to New York Law School. You have to go ahead with the sure thing and you have to factor into your flexibility with our wait list the commitment timeline you must make with that school—deposits, tuition payments, housing arrangements, etc.
In recent years, law schools have seen an increase in the number of students submitting tuition deposits at more than one law school. If you are doing this, or you know someone who is doing this, stop it and tell them to stop it! There are thousands of law school aspirants on wait lists around the country with their lives on hold because of this behavior. It is time for those making multiple deposits to choose one school and free up the seat for another deserving student. Multiple depositors want more time to make their decisions and believe that their money gives them that right. They also believe that they’re not hurting anyone, but they are; they’re hurting people on wait lists!
I’m not a pessimist, but what if I end up not being offered admission from the wait list? You’ve got some options. First, if you have an offer from another school, you should consider going there. If you do not find yourself happy there, or you find yourself still dreaming about a JD from New York Law School, you can consider transferring after your first year. There is no GPA or class rank that guarantees admission, so work very hard there. Second, wait list status one year has no impact on a future application. But I would be remiss if I did not point out the obvious; make sure you do something to improve upon weaknesses before reapplying. For instance, not retaking the LSAT after applying with a low score this year would not be a wise approach for a reapplication. And, yes, a future application would require a new application and you should take every advantage of the opportunity to provide fresh and new information; we do not “reactivate” prior applications.
Agreeing to be on our wait list will require tremendous patience on your part. If you are not a patient person, you should seriously consider withdrawing your application and make plans to enroll elsewhere. If you do agree to be on the admission wait list, provide honest answers on the response form and return it to us as quickly as you can. Best wishes!
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